Detectives probing 450 deaths at Gosport War Memorial Hospital reveal their investigation has now identified three new suspects

Three new suspects are to be interviewed in relation to hundreds of patient deaths at Gosport War Memorial Hospital, police have revealed.

The families of the patients at the heart of the opioid scandal were told three more people have been identified as suspects and will be questioned by detectives over the deaths.

Earlier this year, detectives investigating the 456 deaths announced they had identified 19 suspects.

The figure has now risen to 22 after Operation Magenta investigators identified three more.

Between 1989 and 2000, at least 456 patients had their lives shortened by treatment they received at Gosport War Memorial Hospital in Gosport, Hants.

Eva Page (pictured) also died at the hospital. Relatives of some of those who died have campaigned for prosecutions to be brought over the deaths

Brian Cunningham (pictured) was also a victim of opioid usage at the hospital

Dulcie Middleton (pictured) was one of the victims. Nineteen suspects have been identified by police as part of an inquiry into hundreds of patient deaths at Gosport War Memorial Hospital

An independent panel review was published in 2018, reporting that patients were prescribed ‘dangerous doses’ of opioids between 1987 and 2001.

This led to the launch of Operation Magenta – an ongoing Kent Police investigation into whether criminal prosecutions could be brought against doctors and nurses involved.

More than three million documents have been examined and more than 750 patient records have been assessed as part of the investigation.

It has been described as ‘one of the largest and most complex of its nature in the history of UK policing’.

On Tuesday over 100 relatives of patients who died at the hospital met at the Holiday Inn in Fareham, Hants, to receive an update from police.

Deputy Chief Constable Neil Jerome, who heads up Operation Magenta, said: ‘The independent investigation into deaths at Gosport War Memorial Hospital is one of the largest and most complex of its nature in the history of UK policing.

‘Our team consists of serving and retired detectives who have so far assessed more than three million pages of documents, including the medical records of over 750 patients, and taken witness statements from more than 1,150 individual family members.

‘The families of those who died at the hospital were informed at the start of the investigation that the full range of criminal offences would be considered, including homicide and any that may have been committed under the Health and Safety at Work Act.

Cliff Houghton (pictured) was another victim. More than 450 people had their lives shortened at the hospital

The police investigation into Gosport War Memorial Hospital (pictured) was launched in Hampshire, after enquiries found hundreds of patients had their lives shortened through the use of opioids

‘The families have since been updated that among the suspects identified by Operation Magenta are a number who are due to be interviewed under caution in relation to alleged health and safety offences.

‘The investigation is ongoing and continues to make good progress.

‘Whilst we have never provided anyone with an estimate of how long our enquiries will last, family members and the general public can be confident we are working as quickly and thoroughly as possible to ensure Operation Magenta is the decisive police investigation into what happened at Gosport.’

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